This is indeed a treasure trove of Beecham rarities in excellent transfers
that confirm Dutton as the pre-eminent 'Beecham' label. The Méhul
and Paisiello overtures have not been available ever since their days as
78rpm recordings. They are charmingly done with just the right amount of
panache and wit imbued into the tuneful and merry music. However my chief
delight was Dvorak's 'Golden Spinning Wheel', which reveals Beecham at his
most unbuttoned and shows his mastery as a characterful conductor in descriptive
scores. The same goes for Delius' magical 'Summer Evening' that moves along
at a dreamingly lilting pace describing a hot sultry night. The RPO play
to the manner born in all pieces but the Haydn symphonies are also imbued
with a certain charm. Characteristically Beecham uses corrupt editions of
the scores but in Beecham's hands it hardly seems to matter. No. 40 is a
particular rarity and is a very welcome addition to the now quite representative
Haydn-Beecham catalogue. Liszt's 'Orpheus' was remade in stereo just before
the conductor died but this earlier mono version is intimately more poetic
and magical especially in the wonderfully alert harp part. Mendelssohn's
'Fair Melusine' is also available in stereo but I would again opt for this
earlier version as the swagger and Beechamesque virtues are altogether more
vivid here. Beecham was also a fine Berliozian and his white hot interpretation
of the King Lear Overture is an interpretation to treasure for its daredevil
orchestral wizardry and unique sense of occasion. The RPO's Number 1 Lollipop,
Massenet's 'Last Sleep of the Virgin' is also represented as is the Scherzo
from Mendelssohn's Octet, both works played with unashamed beauty by the
RPO under the genial Sir Thomas. Mike Dutton has refurbished these post-war
recordings with astonishing immediacy and the two for one price tag must
make this album one of the prime items on every historical enthusiast's shopping
list.